The difference between involvement and commitment is like bacon
and eggs. The chicken is involved; the pig is committed.

Part 2/6 #BringingWellnessBack - Commitment

I’ve been involved in a lot of things. I’ve been committed to a
much smaller subset. I know the difference. I realize that a solid
commitment to my weightloss journey is what it took for me to join
#teamlifetime. It kinda happened internally without much effort
because my “WHY” was so powerful. However, I tethered my commitment to
the wrong goal; saving my military career. Now sure, that’s great
and it worked, but the true dedication wasn’t to wellness, it was
to career preservation. I was fortunately walking a parallel
wellness journey and ultimately my health benefited.

Once it became guaranteed that my career was saved, I knew I
would proudly retire honorably on my terms. I relieved myself of my
career commitment but failed to divert that allegiance over to the
wellness path. I said I did, because I knew that was the text book
answer but life is more than just getting the answers right on the
test. The true
test requires you to be loyal to the process, allowing for
occasional wrong answers, as long as your commitment to growth
remains pure.

When I officially announced my retirement more than a year ago,
internally, unbeknownst to me the switch dimmed and ultimately the
career commitment fizzled out. The joyous celebration of
this incredible goal accomplishment masked any hint of derailment
in my eyes.

Over the course of the next 12 months I routinely did a lot of
things right. The foundation I built upon my “Why” was strong
enough to weather the storms of running injuries, debilitating
medical diagnoses, military disability, military retirement and
devastating loss of a loved one to cancer.

I’m eternally grateful I began 2018, likely one of my most
tumultuous years, in the best shape of my life. Sure I was tossed around,
tattered and beaten, but I lived to type out these words - “I will
never give up”. As
I look back, I recognize that had I started 2018 from where I
started 2015, you wouldn’t be reading about this now.

As I opened, I said I’ve been committed to a small subset of
things: military service, being a devoted husband, a loving father
and a few others, as well as my commitment to God. In each instance it has
involved a pledge, a vow or an oath, all acting as a contract of
sorts that I honor with my heart. While, I haven’t been perfect in
any of these roles, I remain committed to them just the
same.

Commitment has never demanded perfection, it’s simply a pledge
to give it your all.

So, this renewed commitment to wellness requires me to sign on
the proverbial dotted line. A mere declaration isn’t enough. I’ll
draft up a contract, I’ll evaluate, renegotiate and adjust. With my
honor in tact, I pledge to do my absolute best.

You see, I’m no longer involved in a wellness journey, I’m
committed to it.

About the Podcast

To lose weight, you need to focus. It doesn't happen by accident. At one point I weighed 263.5lbs and I should have been kicked out of the military. I got my mind right and lost 91pounds. It feels great! If you have similar goals, this is the place to learn WHY I did it and get focused on your WHY. There is more than one way to do this!